Confidence

That brings me to the topic of being confident. I started my Instagram blog about fashion, later bringing in more lifestyle posts in addition to fashion. When I first started, every time I wanted to take a shot of my outfit, I did. Whether it was a selfie, mirror picture, etc. I just took the pictures. Later I got my husband or mother on board to take pictures of me when I need one. Once I started getting other people to take pictures of me is when I realized I lacked confidence. I struggled with being camera shy and not thinking of myself as photogenic. It was a relatively new feeling to me because I did not have these thoughts when I took my own pictures.

We all have struggles. No one is perfect. Even if someone posts beautiful, perfect photos of their supposedly perfect lives, trust me, they are battling some type of struggle. My struggle is gaining confidence when having a photo taken of me for my blog. When I take a picture, I either forget how to pose or don’t act natural. Having other people around when I take photos also really affects me because I hate when people watch me pose. I get SO embarrassed. My mother is so helpful and tells me to ignore them and focus on myself, which is such good advice because they really don’t matter. I will never see those people again, so why do they affect me so much? If I were more confident in myself when taking photos, they would be much better shots, because it totally shows up if you’re uncomfortable or unsure of yourself.

I later learned that if you are confident in yourself while taking a photo, the photo comes out a million times better. I’m not joking. I’m living and walking proof! There’s been times I felt ugly or not dressed the part and just couldn’t get the right picture. Don’t even ask me how many pictures I delete! But when I actively keep negativity out of my head when taking photos, they come out amazing. Instead of telling myself “I’m awkward, I can’t pose, everyone is probably laughing at me,” I tell myself “I am beautiful, I love my outfit, I’m having so much fun!” and it changes everything. It’s really all in my head, and I have to remind myself that all the time.

It’s very true when they say your mind takes over everything. If you feel you look gross, then you will see yourself as gross. If you feel yourself as beautiful, then you will see yourself as beautiful. Our thoughts are very powerful and we have to work hard to keep our thoughts positive because one negative thought can linger and ruin our entire day. Self hating thoughts have a real staying power, so it’s really important to keep them away. We need to be confident and kind to ourselves because all those thoughts shine right through us for others to see. And most importantly, it will improve our lives. And that doesn’t just go for taking pictures! 😉

I had my first photo shoot with a photographer not long ago and I told her “you need to help me, I don’t know what I’m doing”. She was so helpful and after the first few shots, I started to be inspired by her positivity and direction, I killed it. As much as I didn’t think I would, I did, and I actually had tons of fun doing it! I was so self conscious about my smiling pictures but she got great ones out of me by making me feel comfortable and keeping the attitude light. Only when I didn’t take myself too seriously was when the real me came out. Not only that, after that shoot, I could care less about people watching. It didn’t matter anymore.

So please, try to be as confident as you can. Of course it won’t happen overnight. It takes time and hard work, but you will see an amazing improvement in your life and attitude. Try to catch yourself when you have deprecating thoughts and switch them to praising. Try to do things that lift your mood. It doesn’t matter how crazy you think it may be- it probably isn’t. Recognize your worth and beauty and amazing characteristics. Get to know yourself so you can do things are the best for you! You wont regret it.

We got this!